Friday, 22 August 2014

The sister of the late Simon Cadell, who played the endearingly shy and anxious Mr Fairbrother in 'Hi-De-Hi!', Selina Cadell has similarly made a number of popular comedy roles her own. Most recently, she has been playing the infatuated pharmacist Mrs Tishell in 'Doc Martin', constantly mooning over Martin Clunes' insensitive doctor.

As the lovelorn Mrs Tishell in 'Doc Martin'

Other comedy roles include: 'French & Saunders', 'Victoria Wood', 'This Is David Lander', 'Birds of a Feather', 'A Bit of Fry & Laurie', 'Jeeves & Wooster', 'Bremner Bird & Fortune', 'The Catherine Tate Show' and a leading role in the curious laboratory sitcom 'Lab Rats'. She seems also to have been much in demand for kids' shows in the '80s and '90s, cropping up in 'Just William', 'Bodger & Badger' (as the nice hippy teacher Miss Moon), 'T-Bag', and 'The World of Peter Rabbit'.

Brother and fellow actor Simon Cadell, who sadly died in 1993.

In 'Prick Up Your Ears' (1987) pictured with her
fellow outraged librarian, played by Charles McKeown

Light television drama is another of her strengths, as evidenced by roles in 'Lovejoy', 'Miss Marple', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Jonathan Creek', 'Kavanagh QC', etc. She has also appeared in quite a few feature films, including 'Prick Up Your Ears' (1987), 'Mrs Caldicott's Cabbage War' (2002), Clint Eastwood's 'Hereafter' (2010), the Vanessa Redgrave film version of 'Mrs Dalloway' (1997), and a couple of Martin Freeman's less well-regarded films, 'Confetti' (2006) and "Nativity!' (2009).

BBC publicity shot for 'Lab Rats'

Trivia: From a theatrical family, she is also the cousin of actor Guy Siner, Lieutenant Gruber from 'Allo Allo', and she's apparently best pals with Sigourney Weaver. Selina Cadell - imdb